A Century with Buffy
by BerryEbilBunny
Summary: Angel is cursed not only with a soul, but to also watch his soulmate die over and over again, no matter what year, what place, what gender.
1. The Curse

**Disclaimer: I disclaim**

He was a cursed man. Cursed to lose his family. Cursed to live a life of a devil. Cursed to live in darkness. Cursed with a soul so he may regret everything. Cursed to lose the love of his life over and over again.

Angel was undeniably a rather queer vampire. He felt more than cruelty and spite. He was more than his kin who were slaves to their own desires and whims.

Several hundred years ago he had been a faithful servant of the even older Master. Angel, or as he was known then, Angelus, was the cruelest of the cruel and as twisted as you could imagine, and then some. He was everything in the dark that you had to fear. Yet even before he had a soul, he had been unusual. He was lonely.

The first lover he took was Darla. Darla had had a hard life. She was sold at the tender age of fourteen to a whore house. When Angelus found her dying on the street during the seventeen hundreds, he was still young for a vampire, barely a hundred. To the Master, he claimed it was a whim, for she was indeed a very beautiful woman, but a part of him knew it was because the Scourge of Europe wanted to be loved.

It didn't take him long to become bored with her and leave him aching for someone else. Drusilla was his next victim. She was different from Darla in every possible way. She had dark hair and a willowy frame that made Darla's blonde hair and voluptuous figure less appealing to Angelus.

His attention drove Darla jealous as well as her dream life. Drusilla had everyone Darla had not: a loving family, servants, and a huge house. Darla convinced Angelus to kill Drusilla's entire family before her to prove that she had no choice, but be with them for eternity.

The tragedy destroyed Drusilla's mind and her insanity remained with her during her transformation.

Angelus grew bored with her even quicker. He felt he needed a friend more than a lover at that point. He discovered William the Bloody. A man who was all to eager to please since the chance to wreak havoc for eternity had presented itself. For Angelus though, he wasn't enough. He wanted a friend, not a faithful servant although for a hundred years it did well enough as they became Europe's nightmare.

One night he learned of Drusilla and Spike, as William dubbed himself, deciding to become mates. Although he treated her as nothing more than a toy, he became jealous; his loyal little Spike had taken what was his. In disgust, he left the trio to travel on his own.

A decade later, Angelus came across camping gypsies. A gleeful smirk graced his lips as he crept into one of the caravans, graceful as ever. A woman with a long, white dress and waist-length hair slept peacefully. Angelus could tell with his superb night vision how beautiful she was and how earthy and floral she smelled. The thought of draining her pleased him as he crawled beside her. She shifted in her sleep and threw an arm around his waist. He quirked an eyebrow and promptly assumed she shared this caravan with her lover. A distraught man popped into his mind and the idea made him even hungrier. The havoc that would ensue played in Angelus's mind, painting a beautiful picture of gore. His lips brushed her collarbone and his nose buried itself into her shoulder, enjoying her soft flesh and mouth watering scent. It was almost frightening how animal like he behaved. His face morphed and his fangs burrowed into her neck. She struggled weakly, gasping.

Her body fell limp, her scream died between her plump lips and her hazel eyes were wide in fear. Satisfied, Angelus licked his lips and strolled out of the caravan, ready to kill more although he was admittedly full.

If he had left then, he would have had a very different future, but he stalked towards another caravan. The smoke from the fire was heavy in the air along with laughter and music. The smell of food was pleasant even if food had ceased to satisfy Angelus's hunger. He paused in reminisce of the taverns he used to drink him self silly in and then everything went black.

He lost track of time when he awoke hours later. He was tied up in another caravan. The fire could be seen outside through the crack between the curtains and it was burning high and warm. Angelus sneered at the thought of being burned like a low life, easily caught and staked.

A male gypsy and three elderly women, witches by the vibe of them, entered, standing tall, pridefully and with cold anger in their eyes. People who have a been magic users are always drenched in this kind of stifling aura that exuded grace and power. The gypsy spoke in his native tongue, practically spitting at Angelus, much to his disdain, "Vermin, demon, scum, tonight you have drank your last victim. For the murder of my lover, we shall curse you to watch your own soulmate die over and over again until she kills you by her own desire."

Angelus morphed his face, being the monster they see him as and grinned. He struggled against the enchanted rope that made him weak and inched near them, a rough laughter coloring his words, "I do not fear your silly spells for I have no soul. I am God's forsaken child and I do not have a need for love, but the love of havoc and despair. I shall wreck havoc on your people and I shall enjoy your cries. Oh, you should have seen the light disappear from your lover's eyes. Those gasps of desperation were the last things on her lips. I do not fear you or any mortal man. I will have my revenge on you if it is the last thing I do!"

"If it is a soul you should need, then a soul you shall have." The man growled at the manic looking leech as he writhed on the floor, roaring with laughter. They exited the caravan.

Angelus returned to a sneer as his laughter faded and snorted. No magic could bring back a vampire's soul, no way, no how. He returned to the window, watching the three witches as they chanted and mixed. He rolled his eyes and tried to focus on escaping. The various items in the caravan were useless to unbind him, but he found a broken chair leg that could chip his way through the wall and be used as a weapon. Angelus remembered with a strange sort of fondness the fights he used to get himself into, wielding only a barstool. He whistled a bar song as he chipped away.

Three days and two nights passed and Angelus was almost free. He could see light shining through the hole he had made and began to kick to weaken the wood. If he hadn't slept during the day time then he probably would have gotten out sooner, but then again if he had his power back then he would have taken an hour tops. He shrugged, time was something that vampires had spades of.

He crawled through the hole and began running. Thoughts of who could free him for a fair price ran through his head before he felt a ringing in his ears. He screamed out as his chest compressed and his brain felt like it was going to implode. Slowly, he turned around and fell to his knees, the man from before was staring at him, righteously judging him as he gasped out in desperation. Angelus felt a rush of feelings flow into him. The guilt and the shame washed over him and he realized that they had succeeded and he was now a vampire with a soul. His loneliness could no longer be suppressed and he now understood how effective the gypsies' threats were. The man untied him and Angelus fled, every moment of havoc playing through his perfect vampire memory.

**AN: Please review. Thank you**


	2. Beth

**Disclaimer: I disclaim ownership of recognizable ideas and characters.**

Angelus no longer wanted to be in Europe and travelled to America. For two decades he lived off of rats and other animals and lived in an abandoned cabin near an old train station. The nearest town was one hour away by horseback and four by foot. There were very few things that could disturb him besides the occasional train.

Then one night she came. Her clothes showed how poor her family was with the slightly ratty dress and the tiny holes in her stockings that Angelus only saw with his excellent vision. She was not dirty by any means, but she was no lady. Her shoes were old and slightly out of date; they were obviously hand me downs. Still, even from a distance one could tell how beautiful she was with her slight frame and long blonde hair. She looked barely eighteen. She had a blank expression on her face and Angelus wondered what she was doing until he heard the train. He ran over to her, lightly grabbing her arm so she would look at him and demanded, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Escaping," She answered with tears forming in her eyes. The train was still a long ways off, but the sound still made him wary. He tugged a little on her arm and she budged as he spoke, "Please, don't do this."

"Why do you care? No one cares." Her voice was dead as she returned to staring blankly at the train tracks.

Panic rose inside him, his throat clenched as he searched his mind for a way to convince her to step away. He cleared his throat, "My folks never really cared about me either and I knew that my pop at least wanted me dead. So you know what I did?"

"Live?"

"No," he answered, surprising her. He could tell that he had her attention, "I made a mess of my life and to this day I regret it. But you know what?"

"What?" She responded, her tears clouding her hazel eyes once more.

"I'm still glad I am here."

She took a deep pause, the train's bright light coming around the bend, illuminating the tracks in the dark, "Why?"

"So that I can fix my mistakes and tell my folks that I will never be the person that they think I should be. It's not too late to start living." Of course, his parents were dead, but he still hoped it wasn't too late to prove to at least himself that he wasn't a monster. He held out his hand to her, "So what do you say? Do you want to keep going?"

Selfishly, he did not want her to die and prove the curse right. Her warm little hand took his hesitantly and he led her away. The train passed by them a minute later as they sat on the ground. Her eyes took it all in as she thought about how she could have been squashed like a bug by it. The vivid imagery made her shudder and she looked to her savior. He was attractive with his chocolate eyes and chocolate hair. In a way, he reminded her of sculptures of Greek gods in the big cities that were poised over a fountain. His jaw was perfectly sculpted and his hands looked as strong as they were gentle. He felt her stare on him and stared right back at her curled form. She seemed even tinier close up and he asked, "What do they call you?"

"My friends call me Beth, well, they would if I had any, but my name is Elizabeth, but only my father calls me that-" he cut off her rambling by placing his hand on her face. He had no idea how to talk to girls as friends anymore and immediately regretted his actions as the shock was evident on her face. He opened his mouth to apologize when she started to laugh uncontrollably. She roared until she could not help, but fall over. Joyous tears gathered in the corner of her eyes where she wiped them after gaining control. She was still a little out of breath when she panted out, "Thank you, I haven't laughed that hard, well, ever. So, what do they call you?"

"Liam," he lied slightly. She smiled softly, no doubt her muscles ached from all the laughter, "Well it is quite nice to meet you Mr. Liam."

He kissed her hand gently, "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Beth."

She returned at the same time each night to talk to him for a week. A smile seemed to carve its way onto her face every time they saw each other. The moonlight bathed her beautifully in the same way it always did, but this time Liam noticed something different about her, a bruise. He wasn't quite sure how to bring it up, "Miss Beth, are you doing alright?"

"Quite," She would respond tightly before changing the subject. For a few days, she would be like that, but then, as if a weight was lifted, and she would be much more like herself. A month later she would be like that again, but the bruises were far more careless this time. Liam could no longer take it, "Tell me about your family, Miss Beth."

She tensed noticeably, "I lost my mother when she ran in front of a train, when I was four. My father is a merchant and he only comes home for a few days a month."

"I'm sorry. Do you have any other relatives or siblings?"

She sighed, "I have a grandfather and grandmother, but they disowned my mother after her death. I don't have anyone else."

"Well you have me," Liam gave her one of his rare smiles and she grinned in agreement. They sat in silence. The nightlife of local wildlife rustled the trees and bushes. Liam stared at her beautiful face and bruised lip. He could smell the dried blood on her and dread pooled inside of him. He took an unneeded breath, "Does your father hit you?"

"Yes," She answered after an eternity, avoiding his gaze. He saw red as he struggled not to punch a tree. He growled animal-like and brought her gaze to him. He swore before promising her, "I'm going to kill him."

"Oh please don't, really it's my fault that he's like that," She sobbed and he growled again.

His hands clenched and he seethed in silence as he grumbled out, "He's a monster, that will never be your fault."

"He's my father, he's the only family I have." She tried to plea with him, but a small part of her wanted him to kill her father so she could be free, but free to go where exactly? There was nowhere for her to go and no one to help her. No man would want to marry her. Her heart grew pained as she realized how trapped she was. Liam sighed, "Run away with me, Miss Beth."

"What?" Her shock made her voice weak and his request made her knees shake.

"Run away from your father. I promise I will take care of you. We can go see the world like you always wanted and see everything there is to see from the mountains to the oceans," His eyes were tormented as he begged with her. He only knew her for three months, but that was enough for him to know that she was the one whom he would have to watch die. Numbly, she nodded and he broke out into the most beautiful smile she had ever seen as he swung her tiny frame around. Then he surprised them both by landing a soft peck on her lips. She turned red and they were both grateful for the darkness to cover their embarrassment. He settled her firmly on the ground and whispered in her ear, "I'll be here waiting for you and we will take the first ship going out."

"Please come to my house, I live closer to the port." She suggested and he agreed. Surprising him, she pecked his cheek before running off. He would tell her about the frightening world of supernatural creatures and his place among them when she was far away and truly safe from the monster she lived with.

The rest of the day he alternately paced and slept inside his tiny home. His bags had long since been packed. He wished night would come faster. Thoughts raced inside his mind too quickly for sleep to claim him longer than an hour or two at a time. Doubts were catching up to him and he wondered if it was right for him to take her away from everything she knew. She would be so frightened, especially when he reveals himself as a vampire. Maybe she would find him more frightening than her father. He would try to prove to her that he meant it when he said he would take care of her, even if he couldn't be with her. He would protect her until the day he died.

Night fell as his resolve was made and he quickly fed before making his way to her home. She had told him it was down the main street, left from the mill and right across from the bakery. Her house was much nicer than her wardrobe. It was small to be sure, but covered with beautiful flowers. Beth had told him how much she loved to garden and he mentally noted to pick places that had lush greenery.

As he got closer he could hear screaming. Her father, Liam presumed, had discovered their plans. He called her all manner of horrid words. Liam could hear something breaking and her sobs following and he kicked down the door.

A blond man, attractively tall and built, snarled at the vampire, his gray streaks sticking on end. His face was an unattractive blotchy red, like a poorly cooked lobster. He turned to his only offspring and resumed shouting, "Who the fuck is this? Is this why you're fucking leaving? Pretty boy is going to drop you so fast that you will be begging me to take you back. You have no one, but me!"

Liam watched in frozen horror as the monster emphasized the words of his last sentence with punctuating kicks. Beth had withdrew into herself as she laid on the floor, blood coming out of the corner of her mouth.

Yet, her father was not done yet, "Did this sorry sucker get you pregnant, you useless whore? I'm gonna kill your fucking baby and he won't want you anymore. No one will ever want you."

It was too much for Liam and he tackled the man, pummeling with vampire strength. Each crunch of bones and swelling of skin was so appealing to him. The blood spewed from the monster's mouth. Despite the smell, the blood was not tantalizing to Liam's senses, he reasoned that the man's blood would be too bitter and sour. A voice brought him back as he slowed down, no longer bashing in the man's skull, "Liam, it's okay now. He's dead, Liam."

Beth's voice was barely above a whisper as she tried to comfort him. He turned to her, slowly backing away from her father's remains, just in time to see her cough blood into her hands. Despair filled him as he tried to slowly help her up and out of the house. She was limp in his arms, barely able to stand and so he laid the side of her head against his lap as they settled down on the sidewalk. He gently stroked her hair, fighting the sobs that threatened him every time she coughed. They both knew she only had a few minutes, not enough time for a doctor to do anything. She managed to croak out, "Liam, could you tell me a story?"

"Anything for you Beth, anything. Do you want a fairy tale?" Emotion thickened his voice and she agreed. She loved the feeling of how his body moved when he spoke, it was so calming.

He cleared his throat and began, "Once upon a time there was a boy. He never knew love growing up and when the boy grew into a man, the man grew into a monster. He did many bad things and felt nothing. There was nothing inside him, but loneliness."

"Was he really a monster if he was just lonely? He wasn't mad or hateful." Beth finished her interruption with a cough. Liam apologized, "Alas, I do not think he knows. Yet he was given a second chance. A curse befell him so he could feel something."

"How is that good?" Beth struggled to keep awake.

Liam felt her time was close as he laid soft kisses all over her face before continuing, "He was given the chance to know love. He found it many years later in a beautiful maiden. She could laugh more musically than fairies and be fiercer than any dragon. He loved her and loved her and he promised he always would even after he died. She was in trouble though, a terrible troll kept her guarded in his cave. He tried to save her, but he was too late. A deep, enchanted sleep had cursed her, but with true love's kiss, he saved her, just like she saved him. And they lived happily ever after. The end."

A soft smile graced her face as he kissed her once more. She croaked out as the light faded from her eyes, "I'm sorry that's not our ending, Liam."

**AN: Thank you. Please review.**


	3. Buff and Annie

**AN:** I am so sorry this wasn't meant to take this long. It got harder to write towards the end.

**Disclaimer**: recognizable themes and people are not mine

He buried her in the garden by the sweet smelling honeysuckles, shaking from the suppressed grief all the while in the chilly night air as each shovelful of dirt became heavier. Liam wiped the dirt off his hands on his trousers, shouldered his bag and started walking, refusing to look back at that broken house, reeking of blood and anger. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew that he needed to

He travelled numbly for years, cut his hair, changed his clothes. American history unfolded around him, but he had no reason to care. He had paid enough money to avoid identification or intrusive questions. He settled down in Montana in a cabin close to Canada for a while, but moved on two years later. In the mid twenties, he met a couple.

Angelus was talking to the bartender, half listening for any suspicious talk. Lately, he had been hunting vampires, protecting the innocent. He couldn't stand the thought of people suffering when he could help it.

The couple's laughter brought his attention away from his conversation. The boy was more man, maybe twenty, but he had a slight and wiry frame that made one think of wood nymphs and willows in the breeze. He had slight accent that made it obvious that he was a native to Chicago. His shiny black shoes and well tailored suit made him stick out in the shady club, but simultaneously he looked like one of the few who were actually enjoying themselves. He swung his dance partner around, a cigarette between his smiling lips as she laughed, loudly even against the band.

The cursed vampire could almost feel his spirits lift just watching the two enjoy themselves. They seemed so infatuated. They were sunshine in this hole in the wall.

The young woman's beaded dress scraped along her thighs musically as smoke danced around her hair. Her feathered scarf and headdress were in constant danger of falling off. Her short blonde hair curled tightly against her temple while her partner had his brown hair slicked back, showing off his stunning hazel eyes. Her blue, blue eyes bore into his and Angelus felt that he was intruding on a private moment as he followed the couple exiting the dance floor and into a private booth. He sat in the booth next to them, wishing his vampire abilities included seeing through things, but Angelus could imagine their interactions by the noises they would make.

The man would whisper intimately into his partner's ear and she would giggle between each response. Her replies seemed to make him laugh so loudly that Angelus wondered if he would have the smile wrinkles permanently etched onto his face when they grew old.

Angelus could hear their low whispers. From their positions one could easily assume that they were flirting, but that was obviously not the case.

"Oh! Buff, what do you think he's saying?" She whispered excitedly.

Buff tried to keep his laughter tamed as he asked, "The short chunky with the wide mouth?"

Looking around, Angelus perked up spotting the toad like man in the unflattering pinstripe suit. He was situated at the bar and his body filled up the whole stool and then man was gruff looking and seemed to bark his words at the bartender while his smoking cigar bounced a little each time. His face was mostly concealed beneath his wide fedora with exception to his wide mouth. He listened to Buff's doll face of a girl giggle in agreement. Buff let out a noise of deep concentration before responding, "Ah! I got it."

"Buff, tell me," she pouted jokingly. He cleared his throat, "Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!"

"Oh dear Lord, you are mean." Her hand smacked his arm softly as he continued to croak in time to the rude man's words. Even Angelus let out a rare chuckle. They froze and the man cleared his throat, "My lovely Annie, I do believe we are being eavesdropped upon.

Her blue eyes looked down at Angelus from over the top of the booth. A smile braced her face as her eyes scrunched at the corners. Surprise briefly found its way onto Angelus's face, but he hid it before she could register it. Buff's voice asked her in thinly veiled anticipation, "Well, who is it?"

"I haven't a clue, but he is rather attractive." She winked at Angelus teasingly as an offended 'hey' followed. She continued with her taunting, her eyes bright with mischief as she eyed Angelus, "He is just so utterly handsome that I just might marry him right now and consummate on the table. We will have the most beautiful children in America, and he will work for Daddy while I take care of the babies at home. Then we will have sex every single night. Even when we are old and wrinkly. I can tell he will still be handsome when we are old, like a fine wine."

"Too bad that's my ring on your finger, Annie!" He reminded her, a hint of pride coloring his fake jealousy. She laughed, then beckoned Angelus over with her elegant fingers, "Come over stranger, drink with us."

"Annie, don't bother him! He might want to be on his own."

She rolled her eyes at his protest, "Nonsense, who wants to be alone on a night like this?"

Angelus shrugged, not sure whether or not he was allowed to agree or disagree. Once more, Annie motioned for him to join them. As gracefully as ever, he obeyed. She quickly filled up his glass with mysterious liquor. Buff laughed, "Slow down, doll, I don't think the gentleman is that thirsty."

She pouted, crossing her arms, "I'm only being nice.

"Thank you," Angelus interjected, unsure of how to enter their steady flow of banter. They played off of each other so easily. She looked at him cheerfully before looking back at Buff with a glare, "See? Someone here appreciates my hard work."

"Darling, you haven't worked hard for a single day of your life."

She looked at him with offended shock, as he roared with laughter, tapping a cigarette on the ashtray, "That is not true, Buff! You take that back!"

"Alright then, Annie, when have you ever worked hard? Prove me wrong, go ahead," he goaded her gleefully as he winked at Angelus, they shared a smile. Although, Angelus kept his smile small. Annie scrunched her nose up in deep thought before snickering at her lover, "Well, it was hard work getting you to be mine.

Buff blushed as he sputtered, "That is foul play. How was I supposed to know you liked me?

"I practically threw myself at you! Remember when I..." They continued to tease and laugh back and forth, occasionally they would bring Angelus into the conversation, but for the most part he observed. Annie and Buff had been childhood friends even before they were born. Their mothers had been schoolmates and their fathers were business partners. It wasn't that far fetched for them to share their birthdays. They each had an arsenal of embarrassing anecdotes and pet peeves that few others knew about. From the moment they were born, they were inseparable. However, it wasn't until recently that they got engaged

Buff lit up a cigarette for his girl and asked Angelus, "So mister, you got a name?"

"Conner," he lied smoothly. He was an Irishman and it was a common enough name. Buff chuckled as he asked, "Parents weren't very creative?"

"No kidding," he agreed. Buff shook his head in amused disbelief, he asked their new friend a more serious question, "So what are you doing here so far from home? Business or pleasure?"

"Looking for a night job, always been more of a night owl." Conner joked at his own double meaning. He added, "Congrats on your pending nuptials. When is the ceremony?"

"The day after tomorrow," Annie peeped up as alcohol slid down her throat. She giggled at her lover, giddy over their winter wedding to which he smiled, amused at her inebriated antics. Buff turned towards Conner once more, half shocked as if he had almost forgotten that someone else was there. He spoke intently, "So Conner, why don't you join us boys tomorrow? The girls are going off to do their own thing and I reckon you wouldn't mind too much meeting my father, probably could get you a job."

"That sounds great. What do your fathers do for a living?" The pair glanced at each other. Buff replied slyly, "They run nice little places like these."

Conner laughed, realizing that their fathers probably owned every inch of this building. The two boys talked for a little longer, only to be interrupted when Annie began to lightly snore against Buff's arm. The two men stood up after Buff wrote down his address on the back of his contact card, the words slightly lopsided from his drunken state, he explained, "It's a good practice to carry these for when I become a lawyer."

"A lawyer?" Conner repeated impressed. Annie began to slip in Buff's arms as he half carried her to the entrance. The band began playing a softer, slower song. Conner lifted her other arm as he stated, "Good for you."

"Thanks, pity that I only come home on the weekends. I can't get a thing done with this one around." They carried the "one" in question into the alley. Conner wondered if he should just carry her himself, but he figured it would be an insult to his new friend. After they had settled Annie into the car, Buff shook hands with the vampire, bidding him well.

A soft sound caught Conner's attention and he mentally urged Buff to go. The human in question obliviously waved from the driver's seat, but stopped and stated, "Ah, I think I left my hat inside. Do you mind looking after her me real quick?"

"Sure, no problem," the cursed vampire held an inaudible tightness in his voice as he agreed.

As soon as Buff was out of sight, Conner rummaged through the dumpster, looking for a weapon. He found an agreeable broken table whose leg he snapped off. The squareness of the leg was uncomfortable to grip, but the presence of another vampire was far more pressing. He heard the other monster jump off from the roof behind him, soundlessly landing to any human's hearing. Quickly, he turned to face the threat, his face already masked in fangs and wrinkles. It was a man in a blue suit. Conner recognized him instantly from one of the people on the dance floor and snarled. The man laughed, his face not marred by his vampiric features, clearly not seeing Conner as a threat, "My friend, share with me. I think one human is enough for tonight."

"They aren't for eating."

The man clicked his tongue condescendingly, as if he was talking to a child, "All humans are walking meals my friend, no need to be greedy."

"I said: they aren't for eating," Conner snarled, readying his weapon.

"My friend, no need to be this way, I see you have made them your personal pets. I've been watching the three of you all night. I suppose you're going to have a blood bath tomorrow at the party? How poetic of you to kill them the day before their wedding." Conner cursed himself for not checking the building more thoroughly and letting his guard drop around this couple. Yet he decided that they would not pay for his mistakes. He grit his teeth, "Stop talking."

"As you wish," The man taunted with his singsong voice, morphing his face as he charged. Conner was not fooled by any means and caught him by the arm, using the man's momentum and redirecting him into the brick wall by the dumpster. The man was not as fazed as he had hoped, but was shocked at how clean the other vampire's fighting style was.

They struggled for awhile, but eventually Conner managed to pin him to a wall and stake him through the heart. Snow began to fall heavily. Conner pushed back the few stray hairs on his forehead and turned away from the ashy remains of his opponent, only to see Buff in the shadows at the end of the alley. Internally, he cursed, angry at himself for allowing his skills to get so rusty. Buff was as still as a cemetery, his jaw unhinged in a combination of utter horror and disbelief. Conner began to worry that the man and gone into some sort of panic, but slowly the Chicago native closed his mouth, we his lips and croaked out, "I didn't think I was that drunk."

Conner laughed dryly at the man's wavering smile. The moment broke when Buff suddenly turned around and puked. He nodded at Conner when he was done, patting his shoulder as he passed, "Let's talk about this tomorrow."

The next night, Conner arrived at Buff's house. It was, by no exaggeration, nothing short of a mansion, the front yard alone could have fit a house comfortably

Across the street, Annie's house had girls driving away for their own party. Annie herself was the last to leave, barely getting the chance to wave at Conner as he pulled up next to Buff's front gate. Her big smile was a clue that Buff hadn't said anything to her about last night. The cold wind was merciless, but at least it had finally stopped snowing. The snow nearly came up to Conner's knees, but he figured it could've been worse as he walked next to the hedges leading up to the front door.

As he knocked, he could easily hear the jazz playing and the joyous noises. A servant answered the door and invited him into the large sitting room where a band was playing, passing many other party-goers.

Some of them were playing poker while others were dancing with some hired entertainment. There were others who were playing drinking games and others who were fighting. The chaos was familiar to Conner, but the noises were still somewhat irritating as there seemed no end in sight to it.

The servant announced his presence to Buff who had been avidly chatting away, alcohol sloshing every time he made a wild movement

Buff dismissed himself easily, taking the new guest to his office upstairs where people didn't seem to go. He lit another cigarette, heading over to his own personal bar, "You want anything?"

"Sure," Conner took the offered drink and downed it before Buff even had time to sit. The two men stared each other down, unsure of where to begin.

Unable to take the awkward silence anymore Buff began, "So, vampires?

"Vampires," Conner agreed, accepting Buff's refill as silence settled over them once more. Buff stared as the vampire continued to drink out of habit. Once more he broke the silence, asking without truly thinking, "Does alcohol even effect you anymore or is it just because you're Irish?"

The vampire smiled, surprised, but unsure in his answer, "Probably a little of both, vampires have really high endurance to poisons so I suppose alcohol is no exception. It takes a lot to get a vampire drunk.

"What about the whole 'vampires are evil'?" Conner faltered at the question, another tough question, but for an entirely different context. He locked eyes with the groom-to-be, trying to stress his meaning, "There is no such thing as a good vampire. I'm cursed to be good, or at least guilty for when I'm evil."

An audible gulp came from the man, "What could break the curse?"

"I reach complete happiness, despite the guilt that gnaws at me every moment of everyday." Conner clenched a hand over his chest, where his undead heart lay still, quiet as ever.

"That sounds... rather intense." Cautiously, Buff commented, unable to properly respond to that type of answer. He continued on with his little investigation, his curiosity hopelessly peaked, "What about the other myths, you know, the garlic and the crosses and the dying?"

Conner took an unneeded breath, "Garlic burns our sensitive noses, we have heightened senses, crosses burn, younger vampires can't even step inside a church, and if a vampire dies then they turn to ashes. Don't ask me where the undead go when they're truly dead."

"How does one become a vampire?" Wracking his brain for questions, Buff began to tumble over his words in his eagerness, nearly missing his friend's displeasure. The older man answered nonetheless, "A vampire drinks a human's blood and then the human, in turn, drinks their sire's blood."

"Basically, it is just a whole sucking thing?" Buff was unable to contain his disgust when the Irishman nodded. He continued his inquisition with,"How does one kill a vampire?"

"A stake through the heart. A little sunlight. It's like falling off a log." With nonchalance, Conner answered. He continued, watching Buff shoot up his eyebrows, "Setting a vampire on fire works, so does decapitation, but it has to be the head, any other limb then they could stitch it back on. Some vampires can even regrow them.

Somewhat overwhelmed, the young man blew out his breath. There was so much about the world that he didn't understand. Yet he was excited nonetheless.

The men talked for another hour while the party raged below them. A knock interrupted them, and an elderly man entered with a broad smile, "Sonny boy, the party is downstairs! Why aren't you celebrating getting the old ball and chain?"

Conner observed the man, whom he believed was Buff's father. He looked exactly like his son, but broader especially among the shoulders and stomach and he was much hairier. The gray hairs aged him, but the crinkles around his eyes and mouth gave him a naturally pleasant vibe. Buff stood and his guest followed, the groom hugged his father briefly after shaking his hand, "Good to see you too Dad. I'm just discussing some business with my new friend here. Conner, this is my father, Shane."

"Nice to meet you, sir." Conner nodded with a quick handshake. Shane smiled as he commented, "You too. Nice, firm handshake. You can tell a lot about a man's character by the way he greets others."

"Thank you, sir," Conner answered, inwardly scowling at the memory of all his etiquette lessons as a boy. Buff grinned, "Conner was wondering if he could possibly do security at one of your businesses."

"Really? Well, we actually do have a position open. I just had to fire someone yesterday for drinking on the job. Chap couldn't stand up straight let alone see straight." Shane laughed at his own remark as he wrote an address on a memo pad that Buff had on his desk, "Be here at seven o'clock exactly tomorrow night. Ask for Tom, I'll give him a call and have him show you the ropes before the wedding. You are coming of course?"

"Yes, sir." Conner marveled at how strange it was to call someone younger than him "sir". Buff clapped his shoulder and they joined the party.

The next night, setting sun caused Conner to stick to the shadows and cautiously bundling up as he walked to another bar three blocks down from his shoddy apartment. It was bigger than the one he met Buff and Annie in, but it was still a hole in the wall and rather crowded. Tom introduced himself as the head bartender and quickly gave Conner a rundown of his schedule and a tour of the place.

An especially putrid smell aggravated Conner's senses and he almost took a step back as he exclaimed, "Dear God, what is that? It's fucking brutal, that is."

"The men's bathroom," Tom chuckled with his gravelly voice, somewhat apologetic, "I haven't gotten someone to clean it since the usual janitor quit at the sight of it. By the way, boyo, I suggest you keep that accent well hidden. I don't want you causing any trouble, you hear?"

He got a deep nod in response and the continued.

After thirty minutes, Conner left to attend the wedding at a Protestant chapel a fifteen minute walk away. The snow surrounding the sidewalk was nearly a foot and half deep, but at least it had long since stopped falling. The chapel itself was domed, the tall windows were frosted, but one could see the hundreds of pieces of stain glass that pieced it together.

Keeping Tom's warning in mind, he mostly kept to himself as he walked through the thick wooden doors.

The wedding hadn't started yet, but he was cutting it close. Half the procession had already walked down the aisle, leaving Annie and a few others. Seeing him, she unlatched herself from her father's arm and threw her delicate arms around him with a little, musical laugh. Her petite frame reminded him so much of Beth, it left an aching in his heart that squeezed so hard he was sure he would have died if he wasn't already. He put on a small smile as he released her. Her blue, shining eyes broke his delusion as they exchanged greetings and she introduced him to her father and Shane's business partner, Gabriel. Where Shane was slightly overfilled in his tall frame, Gabriel was almost built like a preying mantis.

His limbs were so long that it was no wonder that he seemed to knock things over every five minutes or so and his thick, milk bottle glasses left his own enchanting blue eyes abnormally large. Shane exuded power and charisma, but Gabe was the one behind the books. He could navigate through blackmail and accounting as well as Shane could handle hosting a party and city politics.

Gabe was the kind of man that Angelus would have bullied just for looking at him. Conner shook that thought from his head as he sat at the back, watching the bride go by.

The couple was practically glowing with heavenly light. As he sat back and listened, he picked up the whispers of envy or pride. He listened as people murmured their "Remember when...?"s and he felt his own surge of pride for his friends as they were ushered out into the lobby once more. Rice was passed around as someone brought a car around front.

The happy couple passed him and Conner watched as Buff held her around the waist to keep her from slipping on the stone steps, but then time seemed to slow as a man from across the street slowly smoothly pulled out his gun. Reacting instantly, he ran up and pulled them behind him. Bullets won't kill him, but they sure hurt like hell. The crowd reacted slowly, but they all pulled back. The man pulled the trigger, but a hand was pulling Conner back.

Beth had one hand on her husband's silver tie and the other in her father's, as Buff dragged Conner by his collar. The last thing he saw before the wooden doors closed were a group of men closing in on the culprit as a few others backed him up.

"Can you drive?" Gabe asked Conner briskly as he led them to a black car one block down. Conner nodded as he took the key. Gabriel's hands were shaking. He buried his head between his knees as Conner drove off, unsure of where he was supposed to go. Annie soothing rubbed her father's back as Buff held her other hand tightly, looking out the window blankly. Gabe snapped his fingers, unable to speak, hoarsely he manage to croak out, "Pull over here."

He stumbled onto the sidewalk, his legs were shaking more than a newborn colt's. Annie explained, "Daddy gets anxious really easily. As a result, he pukes."

On cue, the poor man lost his lunch. Annie continued with a sigh, "It took him a long time to even acceopt the fact that I was dating boys. Every time someone brought it up, he would clam up and lock himself up in his office. I think he's glad that I picked Buff though. He's never been quite the same since Momma died six years ago. He's quieter, much less enthusiastic about things."

"I'm sorry about your mother." Conner said softly as Buff gently kissed her cheek. She gave a small smile as her father came back into the car. She replied, "Thank you, boys."

"I'm quite sorry about that, queasy stomach you see. I was never really into the skirmishes. Just the thought of blood is enough to..." Gabriel smiled skittishly before he changed the topic abruptly, "Say, Conner, would you know how to get to the house from here?"

Conner nodded, as stoic as ever.

They pulled up front and began to get out, but Gabe stopped him, gesturing for the newly wedded couple to go on. He leaned against the cold car door before lighting a cigarette, "I saw what you did for them. Not a lot of people would have done that. Especially not for them."

"I don't really understand where you're going with this." Conner lied. Gabriel took a long drag as he spoke frankly, "First of all, I need to thank you. Secondly, want you to work as head of their personal security. They're moving a few miles away, but just one block is enough to make me nervous. I'm willing to pay you twice the salary of your current employer."

"Shane's my current employer." Gabriel looked surprised at his response, but his expression melted into bliss. His smile was just like Annie's, but it didn't carry the same innocence or wildness in it. Gabriel blew out smoke in his chuckle, "Well shit, I guess we'll have to talk things over."

They went inside as Gabe announced that the cold was biting his old bones "like a bitch" and muttered about how much his missed his youth and was envious of Conner.

Over a year passed. Buff finished law school early in the summer. Annie opened a ballet school for less fortunate children. Conner kept a careful eye on them both. He was welcomed into one of the several guest rooms upon being hired. It was tough explaining the circumstances of Conner's undead status. She had chased him out of the room by throwing expensive liquor and vases with surprising strength.

She hadn't spoken to him for a few weeks. She wasn't scared, no, Typical Annie surprised both Conner and Buff by being completely furious. Buff had known before her. She was offended by the lack of trust because "Isn't that what friendship and marriage is about? Trust!"

Eventually, she realized that she was being unfair to Conner, but continued to give her husband the cold shoulder until she felt he had exhausted every form of apology.

That was half a year ago and Conner couldn't believe that time had slipped by him. It wasn't surprising though, as he got older time went by faster. He felt like if he blinked another year would go by.

The window below him opened and he broke his daydreaming gaze. It was hot up on the roof even though it was well past midnight. The light breeze carried the scent over to him and he greeted, "Annie, what are you doing?"

"I needed to talk to you in private." She scrambled up the rope ladder. She let out a great big huff as she plopped down next to him and let out a little laugh. Her hair was not anything near neat like it usually was, but it was just as endearing. She pushed it back nervously and blurted, "I'm pregnant."

"Oh," Conner didn't know what he was supposed to say and followed up with a hesitant, "Congrats?"

"Thank you." There was an uncomfortable silence as Annie toyed with the silver cross on her necklace. Conner and Buff had picked it out for her a while back so she had some sort of defense and she literally never took it off. It was a bit of a pain since she was quite a hugger, but Conner had learned to at least endure. Annie spoke slowly, "I don't want to tell Buff just yet. So could you keep it a secret?"

"Why?" He would gladly do as she asked, but it never hurt to ask why. She scrunched up her face, "Miscarriages are common the first trimester and I just want to wait until then. I don't want to get his hopes up, you know?"

He stared at her in silence as she averted her gaze.

"He wants a family so badly, but what if I can't?" She muttered, half to herself. Turning towards him, she gave him a heart-shattering look, desperate and longing mixing in her blue eyes, as her eyebrows furrowed, "I've already had a miscarriage. I found out four months ago. Am I broken? Is there something wrong with me? Oh god, what if Buff realizes that he doesn't want someone who can't give him children?"

"Never. Buff will always want you." He gathered in her arms as she sobbed. Gently, he rocked her back and forth and remembered once again, the pain of losing Beth. Annie gathered herself through shuddering breaths, gave him a weak smile, before climbing down, but stopped halfway, "Thanks Conner. I don't know what we would do without you. Good night."

Softly, almost inaudible, he responded, "Good night, Annie."

A few more months passed with minor incidents. Buff found out that they were having a baby and he could not be more elated. Promptly, celebrations were planned and held. At around the seventh month, Annie was looking a bit like a balloon and behaved like a beehive. Her mood swings were driving everyone up the wall. At one moment, she would be the same perky, cutesy Annie, but then she would switch to Sally Sob Story over a snag in the rug. One day, Buff found her in their closet surrounded by all the clothes as she tore them off the hangers, she was in such a rage, screaming at no one in particular, "I look like a damn whale, how did I ever fit these clothes? What is wrong with me? Why am I so damn fat, I'm going to get so damn huge that I'm going to destroy the house like damn Alice!"

It took Buff hours to talk her down and it was probably because she was hungry.

"Conner, I need a vacation. Specifically one where I shoot things." Buff announced one night, throwing things haphazardly by his bags as a maid expertly refolded and packed them. Annie set aside her book by the window and absentmindedly rubbed her growing belly, "I thought you might join him, Conner. I bet you know some excellent hunting places."

Buff agreed and he turned expectantly towards their vampire friend. They were the kind of people who just decided matters on their own and expected others to just follow, but occasionally they enjoyed the resident vampire's input.

"I do have a cabin in Montana." He admitted. Buff grinned and threw a sock bundle at the poor maid before remarking, "Fantastic! We leave in an hour. I'll meet you by the car."

Stiffly, Conner nodded and exited, his vampire hearing picked up on the couple's farewells, "Annie, we'll be back in two weeks."

"So close to Christmas are we?" She pecked him on the lips with a fond smile that he returned. He apologized wholeheartedly, but she shook it off with a laugh, "I'm only teasing. I know by now that I make you tear out your hair with my holiday plans and parties. Go ahead. Don't worry about me. I love you."

"I love you too." He responded quietly. Gently, he kissed her belly, and spoke gently to his unborn child, "I'll be back soon little one."

They climbed in the car and Conner drove all through the night, thinking about that steady heartbeat that would soon join the cheery couple. It didn't matter if the baby was a boy or girl, as long as they were healthy. Annie had the baby's room completely put together, right next to theirs. It was a soothing spring green and already stuffed with toys and more clothes than Conner has probably owned in years. When you're that old, you only really change clothes when you realize that you're too out of style.

They arrived at the cabin faster than he thought, but they quickly unpacked and crashed. He and Buff spent several days hunting in the late evenings and the vampire taught him several ways to build traps and track deer in the dark.

One night the falling snow was too thick and both men stayed inside, recounting the wedding day over two years ago. The almost lawyer remarked by the fire, "Annie and I have been thinking, Conner, we've known you for only two years now, but we trust you with our lives. We are so grateful for your company and advice. So thank you."

"You're welcome, Buff. Living here has been quite a reprieve from the suffering these past centuries." Conner admitted freely. The younger brunet smiled and responded, "I'm glad. What I'm trying to say though is, Annie and I want you to be the child's godfather."

Millions of doubts rushed around Conner's mind as he asked, "Are you sure that's wise?"

"Who would be a better guardian than someone who is practically invincible?" The young man reasoned, his hazel eyes bright and earnest. Conner wore his stoic mask as he thought this decision through. It was too dangerous in his lifestyle to have a fragile child. It would hurt him too much if something happened because of him. Buff sighed, "Conner, it is unlikely that we are going to die anytime soon, okay? And if we do, please know that we are entrusting you with our lives everyday and I'm sure my father will help you find a nanny so don't worry about messing up. We just want to know that our child is going to be safe in this dangerous world."

Conner paused and processed everything through before answering, "Alright, I'll do it."

"Great! We already signed you into our will. You get the house, the money, and everything. You and the kiddo should be set for life." The rich man laughed at the slight slip in Conner's expression. His companion was usually so well composed that it was amazing how unexpected kindness could rip off his mask.

Conner mumbled out an embarrassed thanks before leaving to get more firewood. They left two days later, they had eaten most of the smaller animals they had caught and laughed at how Annie would probably refuse to eat a buck.

"I'm surprised that she is even willing to eat chicken," Buff joked as he started to pull up to the house. Conner chuckled, but turned serious immediately. Heavy snow blanketed the sidewalk and heavy winds swept towards them. His friend sensed the shift in demeanor and asked quietly, "What is it?"

"I smell blood."

Buff ran out of the car towards his home, the snow being a slight deterrent, but his determined expression was not fazed. Conner grabbed him by the collar and growled out, softly, with concern coloring his voice and his eyes darting to each window, looking for any signs of intruders, "Do not act so impulsively. What if there's a gunman on the other side of that door?"

The vampire sniffed the air once more, "All clear, but the blood is fresh."

Buff raced in and the door swung open with a resounding bang. The house looked like a hurricane had rammed through every room. The couches were overturned and liquor bottles were in bits. Feathers and book pages littered every floor. The curtain rods hung limply as the tattered curtains floated in wake of the heavy winds let in by the shattered windows. The paintings were slashed and the photos were thrown across the room.

The young man screamed his wife's name repeatedly as Conner quickly checked the bodies of the few maids he found in the kitchen, all of them dead, knife wounds and bullet wounds riddling their corpses. He was pulled away by Buff calling his name, his voice distraught and cracking every now and then as if it was thick with tears. Racing up, the smell of blood got stronger and the ruins were heavier as more furniture was smashed against the ground and vases lay in the watery carpet against the flowers they once held. Conner could hear the sobs from behind a door to his right and quickly he opened it, "Buff, what is it?"

The man was too overcome with grief and Conner could see why. It was the baby's room. The painted turtles and ducks bordering the ceiling were still just as cuddly looking and as gentle as he recalled, but in contrast the blood splattered against the bed and wall was overloading his senses. A bullet hole pierced the friendly shelf against the wall as the stuffed animals resting on it were coated with blood.

Baby mobile still shook a little and Conner could tell that everything had happened an hour or two at most. The blood had barely coagulated against the wall and floor. The blood pooled around the steward's head as he stared out blankly with his mouth agape.

Guiltily, the elder vampire was relieved that it wasn't Annie's body, but still Buff sobbed.

A note was clutched tightly in his hand as he tried to control his tears. He sat on his knees beside the teddy bear that had been impaled by a knife to hold said note. With great care, Conner pried the bloodied note from his clenched fist and smoothed it out.

It was a letter from a man that Conner recognized as a business rival of Shane's. There was no signature or sign, but Conner recognized the penmanship well enough. The letter detailed an address and a time for late tomorrow night. The bloody finger prints were enough to hint at the subtle threat of Annie's demise if they didn't comply. Conner snapped into action after looking over the letter, he lifted up Buff by his arm and commanded, "Pull yourself together. I know where a crone of his usually frequents. He's tough, but I can crack him if we leave now."

Buff sniffled before nodding, sturdily. Conner had to admire his ability to compose himself for his family after thoroughly falling apart. They climbed back into the car and sped to a dingy street corner in a really bad part of town. Conner passed a hand gun to Buff as he explained, "There's a whore house at the end of this street. Frankie here always visits a blonde every Thursday night. He goes in at ten and doesn't come out until about 2 am. That's ten minutes from now. He always parks his car two blocks away, but takes this street to get to it. Now we are going to grab him as soon as we see him. Don't say anything, just keep the gun pressed against his head and get him into the car. We are going to go for a little drive before going to a quiet place where we can find out where his boss is hiding out."

They hide behind the building corner as soon as Buff was fully informed of the plan. Frank soon came into view, he was a shorter man, a thick scar ran down his face along with several little ones. He was very unpleasant to look at, his greying hairline was receding and he had a strong underbite that was used to barking orders. One of his ears was a large cauliflower, this man was used to fighting, especially with his own fists. His clothes were well tailored though and anyone could tell that we was very well off.

Conner brought a burlap sack over his head and tied it faster than any human could have comprehended in that situation. Buff did as he was told and pressed the gun against Frankie's head, preventing him from struggling as he even thought about it. The vampire tied the ugly man's hands behind his back and Buff pushed him forward off the curb and and herded him into the car roughly.

The vampire started the car and drove off to another part of town, taking long detours and doubling back, to keep Frank confused before pulling up in front of Tom's bar. Buff pulled out the captive and shoved him through the entrance as Conner called to Tom as he was stacking up chairs for the night, "I think I found a man to clean out that last stall."

"Set him to work then," Tom answered, without question.

The men's bathroom was a lot cleaner than when Conner had first smelled the place, but the last stall, the origin of the mayhem, was a shitstorm. It had taken a year to get enough help willing to even enter the bath room and scrub the piss stained walls and vomit covered floors because people kept quitting. Flies buzzed around the piss pot when Buff threw Frank to the less than sterile floors. Frank immediately snapped, "What the fuck is that smell? It smells like horse shit."

"It's shit." Conner answered. Buff went back to get a chair to strap the prisoner to and quickly passed it to Conner before getting dismissed, the vampire didn't want his friend to see him like this. He yanked off the sack and needlessly cracked his knuckles, "Now, I've got a few questions for you."

At about seven o'clock, after several hours of the pipes working over time, Conner strode down the stairs where Tom was serving Buff another drink. The bartender threw him a hand towel and he caught it easily, drying his hands, wiping off the remaining bits of blood off of his knuckles. He scowled as he sniffed, "I smell like that damn toilet. I think I fixed up his jaw though, it made an excellent plunger."

"So where are we headed next?" Nervously, Buff's hazel eyes darted from his drink, to his friend, to the door.

The vampire threw back the dirtied rag and replied, shuffling on his coat, "A club on the outskirts of town. Frankie says that's the main place of business. And there is no "we" there is only me."

"It's my wife and child!"

Buff had stood in anger and Conner sighed, "And the safety of each of you are my only priorities. So stay here!"

"No!"

"Damnit Buff! Fine, but if things start going south, you leave. If I tell you to do something then you follow it to the letter. This isn't your typical bar fight. These men are trained to kill and they so desperately want to kill you." Conner warned. This wasn't some sort of adventure novel or comic book. This was real danger. Real people die and get hurt. Slowly, Buff nodded, gripping the gun given to him earlier, "Let's go."

Conner spoke quickly as they climbed into the car, "We've got twenty minutes until dawn and an hour or so before sunrise. We need to be in and out before then. We've only got our hunting gear and knifes, but that's better than nothing."

"But the bullets won't kill you right?"

Conner faltered, "I don't think so. I've never been shot in a vital area before. Stings like hell though."

They drove for nearly ten minutes in silence. Buff was shaking, but to any human eye he seemed composed and Conner pitied him. In reality, Annie could be more than a bargaining chip, she could be tortured or raped and they would be helpless until they could reach her.

This wasn't a merciful world.

They parked across the street near a twenty-four hour diner. The street was dead. The only sound beside the muted melodies from the diner came from the crunching of snow beneath their feet. A hunting knife hung on each of their waistbands and their guns were strapped firmly to their backs. Small boxes of bullets weighed down their pockets like the heaviness in their hearts. The vampire did not have to remind the mortal that this was basically a suicide mission. Nothing mattered to Buff, but saving his family; Conner would gladly lay down his life for them.

"Stand here. Wait until I'm in." Buff listened without question as Conner marched up the view steps and knocked. He could smell Annie in the building, but she was muted by the smell of alcohol and human viscera. A disembodied voice asked for a password and Conner spoke the phrases he had pried from Frank's lips, "The grey sea and the long black land;

And the yellow half-moon large and low;

And the startled little waves that leap

In fiery ringlets from their sleep,

As I gain the cove with pushing prow,

And quench its speed i' the slushy sand."

The door creaked open and the vampire used his superhuman strength to ram the butt of his gun into the gatekeeper's face. The rest was a blur to Buff. The lights went out with a sharp zing a couple at a time whenever Conner or Buff shot at them. Soon it was dark and only sound and the low light from a few candles could guide the way. The sound of knives slicing through flesh and bullets thumping through the wood every time they missed, only pausing to reload. Men sailed left and right in the darkness and their screams were cut short, permanently imprinted into their minds.

The smell of smoke and blood thickened the air and Conner struggled with his inner demon as the last man was choked by his hand. His night vision was heightened by the frenzy, but it was specifically the smell of fresh blood that caught his attention. He looked around for his friend and saw him leaning against a pillar, "Buff?"

"I'm fine." He didn't sound fine, his breath was raspy, almost wet and his voice was strained, barely going through his gritted teeth.

A knife was protruding from his torso, blood trickled down his clothes, and he chuckled a little darkly, "Okay, I lied. I'm not quite sure when I got stabbed, but it seems the pain is starting to catch up to me."

He reached up slowly to pull it out and Conner stopped him, "Don't pull it out. It is the only thing stopping you from bleeding out."

"I can't keep moving like this."

"Then stay here."

"We both know I won't." He stated stubbornly and yanked out the knife. Conner ripped up some of their adversaries clothes to make a quick bandage after dousing his friend with alcohol to clean up the wound. The sound of clapping and pulled their focus away and a man in a white pinstripe suit with a cigar between and they realized that this was the same frog of a man they had made fun of the night they all became acquainted. Annie was held with a knife to her throat by one of his four cronies. Her right eye and cheek were black. Her once perfect pink lips were discolored by their chapped states and the cut on the right side of her mouth. Someone had a mean left hook and Buff planned on cutting off that hand with the very same knife that had been intended to take his life. The toad croaked out, "I must applaud your heroics, but as you can see, it's all in vain. Now, to business, I've had my eye on your fathers' territory for some time now. I had been hoping you would come quietly in exchange for your wife and child, but now that you both are here then I get two bargaining chips."

"As if I would let you!" Conner snapped. The monster laughed at him and replied, "If he doesn't comply then I'll just slit her throat and take him by force. Either way I win. Your move."

Conner was trying to determine if he was fast enough when Buff announced, "It's fine, Conner. They just want money and I'm sure our fathers will find a solution."

The elder brunet saw the imperceptible nod and the sound of his clothes shifting and understood that there was a plan, he just had to trust him. One minion stepped forward to apprehend the new captive when Buff shoved the knife he had concealed in his sleeve up the man's throat, the gush of blood signaled another fight as the toad escaped with Annie into the back room. Conner quickly took care of the other two in seconds, their blood soaking his hands. They raced their way into the back room. The mastermind behind their misery held another knife to the blonde's throat, bullets of sweat coming down his face, "You're going to back out that damn door and let me go otherwise dollface gets it. Now drop your weapons."

She looked green, barely able to stand. Whatever they did to her had obviously been taxing and Buff silently prayed that the baby was alright. He looked to Conner and they dropped their weapons. The man nodded with a smug grin, "Kick them over here before you go."

They obeyed and glared as the monster walked past them, Annie visibly limping along.

He started backing towards his car and then paused at his open door. His grin turned a thousand times more sinister and Conner instantly understood, but he was, as was to be expected, too late. As he ran, the hideous demon slit Annie's throat and her body fell to the ground as he drove away.

Her body thrashed irregularly as her body tried to get back its oxygen. Buff fell to his knees beside Conner and she eyed them both. Conner's face cringed in pain as he announced, "Buff, she's not going to make it."

"Shut up!" Buff snapped as the love of his life slowly lifted her hand to his face. She struggled to keep it there and he held it there best he could as he could slowly feel the cold ebbing away at his own body. The blood from both their bodies was dying the snow much like a drop of ink in a glass of water. She continued to gasp as she tried to speak, "Buff..."

Then she was gone. Both heartbeats stopped and Conner wished his own would start so he could rip it out. Snow began to fall and Conner watched as Buff kissed her hands, her eyelids, her cheeks and her freezing lips and eventually her belly. He spoke softly as he folded her hands over her stomach, "Goodbye, my loves. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have been here in time."

Conner apologized to Buff and the man responded, "You tried your best, but please, leave."

"Buff, what are you saying, we have to get you to a hospital!"

"We are twenty minutes from the nearest one and you can't drive through this snow." Buff stated calmly, refusing to remove his gaze from his family. Conner nearly pleaded, "Then I will run you there. Please, I can't leave you. You can't die too."

"I've already died." The dead man replied with a weak smile as blood continued to gush from his wounds. The undead man stood up and turned around filled with regret. He knew that his friend would not move, even if he did force him he would be just as empty of a shell as he was sitting there in the falling snow.


End file.
